Adventures in healthcare

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I’ve been able to live a pretty much prescription and Dr. free life until the last few years. 25 to 30 years ago I got frustrated with my Dr. requiring me to come in multiple times per year so I just stopped going. At that time I took daily allergy and heartburn prescription meds which I stopped taking too since I could no longer get them filled. For about a year I had very bad heartburn and seemingly constant colds, sore throats and sinus problems, then both started going away. For more than a decade I never saw a doctor and was the healthiest I have ever been in life. Virtually no flu and very few colds. Only the occasional Tums was needed for heartburn.

It continued that way until I broke my leg and had a plate and 7 screws installed to fix it. Then it was constant pain and swelling until the screw heads because visible as bumps under the skin and they and the plate had to be removed. Then, it was an infection and months on a wound vac for complete healing. About this time a surgeon mentioned that I should have my sugar checked because it appeared high, although it could have just been my body’s reaction to the infection and healing process.

Having had enough of the medical industry I bought a blood testing kit and discovered that I was now a diabetic. After a lot of study I realized I could  control my diabetes by controlling my carb intake which I did successfully for a number of years. Eventually my will power ebbed and my diabetes got worse and I had to seek the help of a Dr. to control it.

Since then I’ve progressed from metformin to janumet and glimepride to control my sugar. Control, even with these drugs is not possible without limiting my carb intake, but, limiting my carb intake in combination with these drugs keeps by sugar at acceptable levels.

However it appears the medically acceptable LDL level has dropped in recent years and now at an LDL of 129 my Dr. wants me to take statins, which I have refused to do. I originally refused this drug because I already deal with daily pain from a bad back and literally hundreds of dirtbike crashes in my youth and was not going to increase those daily pains with drugs known to do so.

Interestingly, it appears the companies that make these drugs now recommend virtually all diabetics take them. Even more interesting is that it appears statins sometimes raise A1C levels enough to turn non-diabetics into diabetics. One would assume then that they would also (sometimes?) raise A1C levels in diabetics? Which would cause them to need more of the diabetes meds the same companies make and sell? Higher A1C levels would tend to raise the patient’s blood pressure and cause other health problems too which would then require more meds, correct?

During my last visit I was asked to get a flu shot and a pneumonia shot, both of which I also turned down. The flu shot because I won’t use a vaccine that is new every year, the pneumonia shot just because I was beginning to feel like I was facing a “door to door vacuum cleaner salesman” and at that point I would have said no to anything that was suggested.

Does anyone see a pattern here? I don’t blame my Doctor, he’s a great guy and a great Doctor as far as I can tell. But, the pharmaceutical industry on the other hand? They seem more and more like the tobacco industry of 40 years ago and less and less like an industry that is concerned about our heath.

How can it be legal, let alone ethical to manufacture and sell drugs which may cause your health to plummet and require you to take other drugs the same companies manufacture?

Does anyone else see a similarity between the Benson and Hedges commercials of the 70’s and the prescription drug commercials of today?

[Pete]

Good questions but unfortunately I do not have any answers.
Good luck on your quest, hope you determine some answers.

[Jess from VA]

Mike, I know just enough about medicine to be dangerous (to self and others).

But I feel your pain, and confirm your suspicions.  

I never buy warranties, and I don't go to Dr's either.  (Like 8-Ball in Kelly's Heroes, they are always making with the negative waves.)

Other than a bit of a new allergy (in my 60's), I have not been to a Doc in about 10 years, and I have not had one cold or the flu in the same ten.  Though after firing the wife and retiring (back then), I am a bit of a hermit.  I get out do do what I need to, but don't socialize much and share germs (and I am not a germ freak).

It may cost me at some point, and I assume the risk.

Last I heard bad cholesterol wasn't bad until over 200.... now it's 129?  I would also be suspicious of a recommendation for statins at 129 (I probably haven't been at 129 since I was 17).  They wanted me to take them nearly 20 years ago for 210, and I told them to blow me (or words to that effect).

I don't know if they are in on the pharmaceutical money or if they are just.... well, there are drugs for that now, so why don't you take them?.  Is it just to look like they are doing something?  Is it, well all the other docs are prescribing this stuff, and if I don't will I get sued (or look incompetent)?  

I don't know.

I took vitamins and supps for many years too.  I quit that as well.  And I can tell no difference in my life, other than my pee is clearer than it used to be.

[Bigwolf]

Frye,
I think I could write a book on this subject.  I am really angry about it........but I cannot lay the blame on any one person, or even on any one sector of the medical community.  The problem is much bigger than that.  I used to take my doctors’ words as absolute and correct.  That was before they nearly killed me a few times.  Now, they have a hard time with me because I question everything and I have studied my medical maladies to the point that I am often more knowledgeable, or at least more aware, than they are of the overall situation.

You are absolutely correct that many drugs are causing other medical problems.

I will check back and add more to this later.  Kinda busy right now.

Bigwolf

[old2soon]

             Well I mute the blond with the annoying voice that shills fer some lawyers going after certain new-newer meds and that tells me a LOT cuz some of the ones they're going after were heavily advertised just recently-year to 3 or 4 years back. So I M H O-YES you are CORRECT to question any damn thing they-medical "professionals" wanna put in yer body or want you to take to cure-hah-or alleviate conditions to make you feel betta. I have zero idea What yer insurance setup is but NEVER be afraid to git a 2nd or 3d opinion. And ya KNOW what they say bout opinions.  RIDE SAFE.

[Oss]

even BEFORE I stopped listening to the nightly news I realized that the side effects on most drugs are worse in many cases than the thing they are trying to control  When I found out I became allergic to cheese my cholesterol went below 150. Trying not to eat carbs after 9pm I think regulates the blood sugar fine for me. Sugar is not good sugar substitues are much worse with links to many dangerous diseases.

Doctors are not taught nutrition, know nothing of herbal plants and medicines used for millenia and only trust their "scientific" method.  FDA is years if not decades behind medical devises and treatments rendered safely in Europe and elsewhere.

All well and good if you trust the $ behind the curtain and I trust them somewhat and think most drs are well intentioned but they only know what they are sold and told

Western medicine is good many times in crisis, but think about it
the oriental method is the dr gets paid by his patients that are well
We pay drs when people are sick

This is a self perpetuating machine   I try to stay off that machine

YMMV

[Robert]

My cholesterol was a bit high and the Dr put me on statins, tried a few they made my joints ache, gave me cramps and weakness in my muscles. While they do like to see cholesterol levels below 129 its a number. Unless you have a heart condition or clogging of the arteries its not really critical and even with that I would still not want to be below 129.

New ideas about cholesterol are being taught also and say that maybe really low levels are not important and may not be good.

 Some people have inherently high cholesterol and yet die from other causes. Sometimes Dr,s forget quality of life in wanting to prolong it and want you to take things that are not necessarily going to make things better. Usually there are ways to mitigate certain risks and research and the knowledge is your friend.

 You are your best advocate of your health, and in knowing your body and what you can do or not is always the best.

Dr,s are mostly good people making a living from what they are taught at the governments hands and its their personal quest for knowledge and helping makes them really good Dr's inspite of their teaching. Dont forget insurance also plays a big part in what they do since the premiums for liability can be through the roof.

I remember the old saying in Dr,s bury their mistakes, while I have seen many good Dr's I have seen bad ones also, just like any field. I have seen a some people that are taking many pills and they were starting to feel lousy so they stopped some of the pills and their health improved
Who can really know the drug interactions unless you have experience with them? So many drugs, so many variables, and so many people who are sensitive to different drugs, especially when you only treat one symptom of the person and not the whole person.

Bigwolf is correct also in saying gain knowledge of your problem and often unless you go to a specialist you will have more knowledge than them. You live with your body and will know the signs once you learn the treatments, symptoms and reactions.

[Valker]

A quick Google search yields these stats for doctors being a leading CAUSE of death in the USA. Guns seem to be WAY safer than doctors.

Deaths Per Year

Cause
106,000   Non-error, negative effects of drugs2
80,000   Infections in hospitals10
45,000   Other errors in hospitals10
12,000   Unnecessary surgery8
7,000   Medication errors in hospitals9
250,000   Total deaths per year from iatrogenic* causes
* The term iatrogenic is defined as "induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy.  Used especially to pertain to a complication of treatment."

[JimmyG]

Frye,  Don't even get me started.... I began my career in medicine 1968 as a medic in the Army. After Nam, I studied radiology and worked in x-ray, and Nuclear medicine. Fast forward a few years to more and more training, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, things all going digital, special procedures like heart caths and all that stuff, even before the digital age when it was a lot harder to get the perfect study.  Now all through my career, I believed in taking care of your body and avoid anything as a habit, and to do things in moderation.  Avoid overweight, avoid to many sweets, smokes, alcohol, in general, just be careful and live well as you can.   Well, I turned 70 October 5th. I still do not take any medications, my blood pressure is still within normal limits for my age,  I still can work hard, but only for about 6 hours a day instead of all day, and even though I have had lots of aches and pains, I'm doing pretty good for an old fart.  On the other hand, I have had many injuries, torn ligaments, broken bones, two concussions, and the list goes on.  Finally, after all these years I have figured out that most of it is genetics. Some people get a crappy deal, some luck out as I have.

Now as far as insurance, it is a money making gimmick from the get go since around 1976, if I remember right.  Things seemed pretty good before that, then insurance companies began thinking and operating differently. Now, it is all about denying claims if at all possible. PPO's, HMO's, and the like are scam artists, asking providers to accept less money for the same service,  and on and on. But guess what? Greedy people, abusers, cheats, liars,etc is what has caused all the problems.  How can you justify coming in to a ER in the middle of the night with an aching little finger?   A nurse has to check you out, a Dr. has to see you, order some diagnostic test to make sure (prove) it is not broken, call in a Technologist in the middle of the night, then give you a little helper for the pain and send you on your way.  Abuse is rampant, this actually happened, and a medicaid patient to boot.  It is all messed up anymore.

I am on medicare, have been for five years. I have to pay a penalty each month because I did not have an approved prescription plan,(I had the VA). I pay a penalty because in essence, I've not used medicines, hence did not buy prescription insurance.  Even though I am healthy and don't take medicine, I pay a penalty.  I always have paid out of pocket when needed to.  What a scam....  OK, rant over, good luck with your insurance and Dr. that you can keep....what a joke

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Hey Frye. I strongly recommend that you read a book called "The Diabetes Code" by Dr. Jason Fung. You'll be amazed at how backward the medical industry treats diabetes. I will tell you this. Carbohydrates are nothing but sugar when broken down in the digestive system, so you are on the right track diet-wise. While this sounds unconventional, intermittent fasting is the key to reversing type 2 diabetes. The explanation is far more in depth than I could possibly write out here, so I suggest reading the book. It's very eye-opening.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Hey Frye. I strongly recommend that you read a book called "The Diabetes Code" by Dr. Jason Fung. You'll be amazed at how backward the medical industry treats diabetes. I will tell you this. Carbohydrates are nothing but sugar when broken down in the digestive system, so you are on the right track diet-wise. While this sounds unconventional, intermittent fasting is the key to reversing type 2 diabetes. The explanation is far more in depth than I could possibly write out here, so I suggest reading the book. It's very eye-opening.

Just ordered it. Thanks

[G-Man]

Wrote a nice reply as an insider who has been the provider and who has worked within the care and pharmaceutical industries, but deleted it.

So much misinformation.  So much naivete and ignorance.

The only thing I will add to this topic is with regards to the expense of providing healthcare to the masses.  Look towards the gov't.  The gov't, with its insidious overreach, regulations, and guarantees of service has increased costs to where they are today.  The ACA did not address ONE reason for the high cost of providing care, it was an insurance game only.  Medicine and education.  Two industries that the gov't got involved in which has seen costs for it's products increase at higher rates than all other industries.

[Bigwolf]

A friend of mine that works in the pharmaceutical industry has often said “why would we produce something that would make you well when we can continue to sell something that keeps you coming back for more”?  I have never been sure if she means that as a joke or if she knows more than she is saying.

I have had several bad results from drugs.  Often these have been made worse because doctors refused to accept the fact that the drug was causing a problem and I was accepting my doctors opinion as knowledgeable and credible.  Not anymore!  The last straw for me was the medicine induced stroke 16 years ago.  

I am not convinced that there is actually a conspiracy involved but I do believe that most medicine in the USA Today does more harm than good.  Not necessarily anybody’s intention but just a cumulative effect of human tendencies.

There are 4, or maybe 5, separate factors that, together, create the medical bad stuff.  
1) Pharmaceutical companies research and design new drugs based on one particular thing for each drug.  If that “thing” is the heart and cardiovascular system, then all of their research is focused on the cardiovascular system only.  If that “thing” is acid reflux then all of their research is focused on the stomach and esophagus only.  Etc.  Therefore the doctors doing the research for the cardiovascular system don’t notice that their new wonder drug is destroying the stomach and liver.  Nor do the doctors researching the acid reflux realize that their new wonder drug is destroying, or putting at serious risk, the cardiovascular system.  Conspiracy, maybe, or maybe just human oversight.  Also, keep in mind that after a lot of work and research, who wouldn’t want to play up the benefits and downplay negatives?  After all, they are in it for the money and they don’t make money if the end result of their work does not sell.
2) Insurance companies have decided that they know more about your medical Health needs than your personal and/or specialist doctor.  Can’t blame them for trying to cut costs by overriding bad doctors and patients that are just bleeding the system.  However, because of that, you now might not get needed tests or procedures because they are not covered by your medical insurance.  Some tests and procedures are now ruled out simply because they don’t have a statistically high enough success rate for your age bracket.  There may be some success, just not often enough for them to pay the bill.
3) The legal system, with malpractice lawsuits, puts doctors at risk if they don’t follow American Medical Association protocols.  The very protocols put in place by research done with very specific outcomes in mind and no one paying attention to the effects on the entire body.  Malpractice lawsuits are necessary to weed out truly bad doctors and even sometimes to compensate for the life changing mistake of a good doctor.
4) Doctors have become cookie cutter medicine dispensers.  I don’t blame them.  With so many drug advertisements on TV and the internet promising amazing utopian results, a lot of people are pressuring their doctors for these drugs rather than letting their doctor guide them.  And, a doctor cannot individualize a medical protocol to you specifically without going against AMA protocols and thereby putting himself at risk for malpractice.  If a doctor was caught doing this with several patients, he might even lose his license to practice medicine.  Most doctors practicing today have been schooled on the benefits of the drugs the big pharmaceuticals are producing.  They believe it because that is what they have been taught.
5) The American Medical Association scares me.  Who sits on their board?  How much stock do they own in pharmaceutical companies?  Why are they producing protocols that are doing as much or more harm than good?  Something at the AMA definitely stinks.  

Well that is my take on the medical community in this country.  I could add more of my experiences with the bad stuff but doubt it would add much to the conversation.  I believe the best defense is to do your own research, know your own body, treat your doctor as a medical advisor not the director, and fire any doctor that refuses to listen to and discuss your concerns.

Be safe out there,
Bigwolf